What do you look like? What does the Christian life look like? Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “If it looks like a duck, smells like a duck… then it’s a duck.” Let’s apply this to a Christian, a believer and follower of Jesus: “If it looks like a Christian, smells like a Christian…” You get the idea, but what does that look like? What does it mean to be a Christian, a believer and follower of Jesus? What does that look like? Are you a Christian? What do you look like?
Paul visited the Thessalonians on a missionary journey. He later wrote his first letter to them in chapter 4 with instructions on living the Christian life. He listed six ways how to walk and please God. First, seek holiness and honor in all their thoughts and actions, specifically sexual immorality and controlling the passions and urges that rise up every day. “Be holy like your Father in heaven.” Second, they were taught by God, and looking like a Christian means humility, openness, readiness, and being able to be taught. Will you do what He teaches? Then he talks about brotherly love and loving one another more and more, growing in love. Fourth, they were to live quiet and plain lives, not fame and fortune and bright lights, bells and whistles, but “S I M P L E – simple as can be.” And, mind your own affairs, mind your own business, “stay in your own lane.” Stop commenting on every event on social media. Finally, work hard, do a full day’s work, a good day’s work, and accomplish what needs to be done. This is what the Christian life looks like. Do you look like this?
I need reminding of this often. It’s easy to get off track and fuzzy on my goals and priorities. Truth be told, I don’t always live this way. Maybe you’ve heard another saying, “If you aim at nothing you’ll hit it every time,” and we need to be reminded of what we’re aiming for. It is good to take stock of where you’ve been, where you’re at, and where you’re headed – what do you look like? God gives these six aspects to help guide us and shape us to be more mature and progress in our faith. We need to look more like Jesus. Paul concludes his letter, “May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” God is at work within His child, the Christian, to make him or her look more like Jesus. How is your progress this season? What do you look like?